August 9, 2016

Today (Nagasaki Day) we did an arrestable action of blocking the entrance to Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest war profiteer and nuclear weapons contractor. But we were not arrested this time. Usually what we do is turn from the entrance and walk up the driveway with our petition, and are arrested (usually in prayer, led by two clerics who are part of our group) for trespassing on private property. We stayed on the public entrance part of the road. And we stayed. And stayed. Seven of us, for nearly an hour in the sun, taking turns tolling a loud and heavy bell that two of us (often I) carried. We have used this bell before, and know that it can be heard for a long distance, including inside the Lockheed facility. Folks generally know it’s us. All of us have been arrested numerous times, so there was not any new reason or principle in being arrested on this particular occasion. About twenty police and Lockheed Martin security personal stood on the other side of the property line, which we never crossed. This was an interesting change, I believe, because our customary action might be considered by some as theatrical and simply wanting arrest (we’d actually like to get our petition delivered, but we understand that this is not likely to happen). The same could be said of most CD arrests, but I think that misses the point. Planning ahead for intentional CD is important (getting caught in a kettling is a different thing, where you suddenly find yourself unexpectedly penned in for arrest). I hold my arrests to be a part of faithfulness and are important for my continuing with a sense of competence and confidence that one can directly confront the forces of war at their source and on their own home ground. . Successful dealing with the law and the police can be part of that sense of empowerment, and I’m now relatively comfortable with that aspect – thus being ready to express my sense of faithfulness and ready to exemplify that such faithfulness is accessible for anyone, if one feels so led.
After our half-hour program and nearly hour-long blockade (which including a large sign that said “LOCKHEED MARTIN CLOSED,” we simply thanked the police and security for their time and walked off the street.

A Facebook Friend asked what we hoped to accomplish by these demonstrations, and I replied as follows: Our intention is that when workers and/or investors understand that they are directly contributing to the possible deaths of millions of humans including their own family members, they will move Lockheed Martin from a war-based company to one focused on developing the civilian economy. For examples, their technical skills could contribute greatly to rebuilding our deteriorating infrastructure, and also in research and development regarding ways to halt (and correct for) the severe challenges of climate change. A number of Lockheed Martin employees have resigned their positions for ethical reasons. A friend of mine, Bill Whistler, left his position as a research engineer designing antennas to survive nuclear blasts, to become an activist with us. He was later arrested at the same location where we were at today.